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In the early Middle Ages, great nobles and their knights held a great deal of power. As time passed,
though, this power began to shift. More and more, power came into the hands of two types of leaders,
popes and kings. Popes had great spiritual power, and kings had political power. Together, popes and
kings controlled most of European society.
Among those who believed this was Pope Leo IX, who became pope in 1049. He argued that because
the first pope, Saint Peter,
had been the leader of the whole Christian Church, later popes should be as well. Despite Leo's
arguments, many church leaders
in eastern Europe, most notably the Byzantine Patriarch Michael Cerularius, refused to recognize the
supremacy of the pope. The pope responded by excommunicating him in 1054. This is known as the
Great Schism. It is reflected in the cultural and political divisions between the Orthodox and Catholic parts
of Europe today.
Leos decision created a permanent split within the church. Christians who agreed with the bishop of
Constantinople formed the Orthodox Church. Those who supported Leos authority became known as
Roman Catholics. With their support, the pope became head of the Roman Catholic Church and one of
the most powerful figures in western Europe.